Hold Tricolour rallies, TNCC chief tells cadre

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai on Sunday tasked his party office-bearers with holding Tricolour marches on two-wheelers and through padayatras and hit out at the BJP for what he described as an attempt to ‘appropriate’ the national flag by conducting Tiranga yatras.

Selvaperunthagai said no force, including the BJP can break the bond the Congress party has with the Tricolour and everyone has a right to hoist the national flag on Independence Day and celebrate. In a statement, the Congress party leader said the BJP is making attempts to appropriate the national flag by holding Tiranga rallies, which are not a usual practice, but based on PM Narendra Modi’s recent appeal.

From August 12 to 15, Selvaperunthagai said district Congress committee presidents should organise ‘Tricolour motorcycle rallies’ in their respective district headquarters. In villages and talukas, padayatras should be conducted by holding the national flag. The connect and bond the Congress party has with the national flag should be explained to the people by tracing the freedom movement, the role played by Gandhiji and the party’s pivotal role, he said.

The TNCC leader alleged that the RSS had not hoisted the national flag for 52 years. Therefore, the RSS boycotted and insulted the national flag and now the BJP is attempting to appropriate it and it is a ‘conspiracy.’